A Warm Hug for a Frozen Heart
by ravenclaw-geek394
Summary: Elsa has lived thirteen years of her life in fear, shying away from every touch and every reassuring smile. Even the gentle hands and warm glances of her parents. But there are times, beautifully rare times, when a simple hug means everything.


Inside the portrait hall there was a painting that Elsa had never known existed. The queen assumed it had been hidden away after the incident when Anna was five. After she stopped talking to Anna. Stopped visiting the fjord with her Papa. Stopped accepting hugs from her Mama...

It was a rather large painting, practically life size, and the textures in the canvas were so incredible all Elsa wanted to do was reach out and touch it. Run her fingers along the velvet of the curtains. Press her hand against the crystal glass panes of the window. Feel her mother's gown and hold her fathers hand and—

It wasn't until Elsa's hand was hovering right over the painting did she realize how badly she wanted to hug them. Let them hug her. Feel the rich fabrics against her face as she cried to them, openly, not locked up in her room. Accept the reassuring smiles and the hands outstretched ready to help her. To be there for her.

Elsa wanted nothing more than a hug from her Mother.

Of course now she had her sister Anna, who was always by her side and there with a smile and open arms even when it wasn't necessary. And Olaf never passed up the opportunity for a warm hug... However, it wasn't the same. It wasn't from her Mama.

Elsa's pale hand inched away from the painting and she held it close to her chest. Squeezing her crystal blue eyes shut, Elsa tried to remember. She couldn't have possibly gone thirteen years of her life without a single hug.

" _She misses you Elsa. So much. All Anna wants for her birthday is to see you—" Elsa's eyes turned away from the window at the word 'see,' almost as if she was happy, "to talk to you." The blonde princess returned to staring out the window. Staring at the courtyard, covered in wild flowers and the summer solstice sun shining down. Her little gloved hands were gripping the windowsill. Elsa heard her mother get up from the bed and walk over to the window seat she was sitting on, but she pretended not to notice. Pretended there wasn't tears brimming her eyes, that she was stronger than any other eight year old queen-to-be. "You won't hurt her Elsa. We all believe in you, just wish her a happy birthday." Her mother was now sitting right next to her, but with a good portion of space between them, her head crouched down so she could see her daughters face. Elsa was crying now. Her mother slowly and cautiously held out her arms, "Little one don't cry." Elsa scooted to the side, her head pointed down and her hands folded in her lap. Then she was sitting on her mother's lap, curled up like when she was littler, staining her gown with tears as her mother ran fingers through her hair. "It's going to be okay little one. It will all be okay..._ "

" _No! Don't touch me! Please, I-I don't want to hurt you..." Elsa was taking shaky steps back to the frost covered wall. Her hands pulled close to her chest, wringing them in fear. Her father and mother paused and took a step back. That night Elsa had another nightmare, the third in two days, the princess woke screaming in a bed nearly frozen solid. Her mother was the first to run into the room, Elsa didn't stop crying when she accepted her mother's hug. She was twelve, but she was curled up on her Mama's lap like she was three. Out of breath, hands balled up into fists, staining her mother's nightgown with tears. Her Mama's gentle fingers combing through her hair, "It's going to be okay little one. It will all be okay..."_

 _"You'll be fine Elsa." Her father gave her an encouraging nod and a reassuring grin, and walked off towards the door to the palace. Elsa raised from her bow, expecting to see that her mother had walked off as well. But she was instead met with a pair of gentle blue eyes that were smiling on their own. Her mother had her arms open, though inside she didn't really expect a hug. Elsa stared, gripping her hands together, her gloves were thicker now, made of wool and another strong fabric she hadn't heard of before. Elsa was nearly trembling and meekly shook her head. She could see the disappointment in her mother's eyes. The Queen dropped her arms and continued to smile, "It's going to be okay little one. It will all be okay. Two weeks." And with one last motherly smile she was off. While Elsa stood like a statue, staring at the oak door._

 _She was holding onto one of her Mama's gowns. Her hands were gripping the velvety fabric so tight she could've broken it. Elsa's face was pressed into the fabric, her tears staining it and her hands balled up. Like when she was three. But it was different. There wasn't anyone to hug her back._

"That's my favorite one too." Elsa jumped back at the familiar voice. "Anna, you nearly gave me a heart attack." The red-head smiled and moved so she was standing beside her sister, gazing up at the painting. The sisters stood in silence for a few minutes. It was Elsa who broke the silence. "I miss her. I, I miss her hugs." Elsa immediately looked down at the floor. And then felt arms wrap around her shoulders. "It's not the same. I know that. But, it's okay. It is all okay." Elsa leaned into her sisters warm embrace and nodded. Inside she thought of every time her mother side that everything would be okay, she had been right, as she always was.

Elsa got nearly three hugs everyday now. She didn't allow herself nearly as many for thirteen years of her childhood. But when she did, they were special and meaningful. A hug that knew "It was going to be okay, it was all going to be okay."

And it was.


End file.
